The Sightless Daughter: Tyesha Latoria

TSD: TL 5

The child stood up and met her mother’s gaze lifelessly. Alyonna flinched upon seeing her expression. It was dull, like a lifeless in the vast of darkness. She remembered those deadly cold eyes staring at her as if she was a pest that should ridden off. Even with just that gaze the child gave, she trembled, she felt suffocated. The guards came in and surrounded the child.

“Hold that little witch!” Alyona commanded.

The two guards the tiny arms of the child. Alyona’s face darkened and walked closer to the child.

“Dagger,” Alyona opened her hand and reached it out to the guards.

One of the guards handed her a dagger. As she felt her hand occupied, she smirked, “You really look like your father after all.”

Alyona raised her hand and without a shred of doubt, she stabbed both of the child’s eyes.

“AHHH!” the child screamed in pain. Blood splashed to Alyonna’s face. While the child was dying to the stab wounds on her eyes, to her, it was ecstatic. It felt to her like she was victorious.

The guards were shocked to what Alyona did to the poor child. None of them never expected that Alyona would do such thing even she hated her own daughter. The second daughter was also in disbelief on what she witnessed.

“From now on, I can no longer see those monstrous eyes,” Alyona stated.

The guards eased their grip to the child whose eyes were. Blood never stopped flowing from her eyes. It almost looked like she was crying with blood. Alyona then, picked up her second daughter and went off without even turning back. The servants went to tend the child’s injuries. They just put a piece of cloth in her eyes to cover it after cleaning it. The child left alone after that.

Alyona did not have peaceful sleeps at night ever since she saw the child’s eyes that day. It was like a nightmare that buried and woke up from its grave. She was terrified upon seeing the child’s eyes that resembles her father. She kept waking up in the middle of the night because of her nightmares. Her husband, Marquis Hillbrant, would sometimes woke up as well because of Alyona’s sudden screams.

“Lock the child in her room. Do not let her get out from that attic. She should never appear in front of the Marchioness again,” Marquis Hillbrant ordered his servants.

“As you wish, Lord Hillbrant.”

The servants will only come to deliver her food and needs. That was the case but no one dared to feed nor help her. They just petty the little child for her misfortune.

A business acquaintance of Marquis sends him a letter of invitation in his estate. He left to Prilassi country. As a well-known trader, Marquis Hillbrant had many connections on the country. The Prilassi and Nydilavia, both countries are in good terms. However, the Prilassi was in conflict on Asseraviel Country. Rumors were that anytime soon a war will waged between them.

~~~ ASSERAVIEL ~~~

~~~ BERNARDON ESTATE ~~~

“Claudine, did I receive a letter today?” Janette asked her personal maidservant.

“Miss, you receive letters almost every day though,” Claudine, answered.

“I don’t need the letters of invitation in their childish tea party. What I want is the letter from the Hillbrant estate.”

“Oh, from that child? Since last week there is no letter from her, Miss.”

“What could have happened?” Janette asked with a worried tone.

“Miss, maybe she got a little busy? Or the one who wrote the letter for her maybe?”

“Both are impossible. I taught her how to write and read while I was there. She is a smart girl who learned easily. She could always find a way and time to write even a short message. But, I wonder if she has a paper and pen to write on to.”

“Do you think that they didn’t give her anything to use?”

“Maybe,” Janette frowned.

“Now Miss, don’t sulk like that right now. We have more important thing to think,” Claudine cheer her up.

“Ha~ right. I have a thing to problem about right now.”

Claudine smile forcedly, “It is really considered a hassle, Miss?”

“Of course! Who would be happy attending an engagement banquet at the palace with a happy face?”

“Haha… all would be,” Claudine, laugh forcedly, “It is only you who’s not happy on her engagement banquet though.”

“Whatever just finish my hair? I don’t want to hear anything word from my parents, who is late and all,” Janette snorted.

After Claudine finished fixing Janette’s hair and appearance, Janette immediately left their estate. Janette stopped and was amazed upon seeing the glowing carriage under the moonlight waiting for her. The door already opened and waiting for her to step inside. A man was standing beside the carriage with his head slightly bowed.

“What carriage is that?” Janette raised her one brow and crossed her arms.

“Good evening, Lady Janette. The emperor ordered us to fetch you,” the man bowed his head to show courtesy.

“Yes, I see that. Even I do not look at the crest carved on the carriage. Even only, the tip part of the carriage I can tell it is from the palace. It is really a shining shimmering elegant carriage.”

“Is it not to your fancy, Milady?”

“Yes. It is not my fancy thing. I prefer riding our own carriage which is not a shining or shimmering thing.”

“Milady, the Emperor might get offended if you will not take his offer.”

“Offer? What offer, riding in this carriage? I never ask him to fetch me or anything. To be exact I don’t want to attend this bullshit engagement.”

The servants as well as the man in front of her who heard her were shocked in her vulgarity.

“Milady!” Claudine warned her about her words.

“Who are you by the way?” Janette asked the man.

“I’m sorry for not introducing myself, Lady Janette. I’m Fodel, the emperor’s chancellor.”

“Hah! I don’t know that the chancellor’s work would be fetching someone now?” Janette said sarcastically.

“Miss.” Claudine held Janette’s arm.

“If he sends carriage to fetch me might as well, he would also ride on it, right? How do you call this fetching when he, himself not in present?” Janette said.

“That’s… the Emperor is quite busy.” Fodel answered having a hard time to persuade the Lady.

“If he is busy, he should not have started this banquet right? I feel guilty that aside from his busy schedule he manage to organize a banquet like this.”

“Miss,” Claudine sighed in defeat.

Fodel scratched on the back of his head. The Lady had very sharp words to use and pointing things that he could not be refute. Lady Janette was logically pointing things and leading the conversation where she wanted. Fodel was left no choice but to agree or not to answer because it will come out that it is the Emperor’s fault.

“Whatever, if only my parent will not nag me if I’m late. I would have all the time to stand here and talk to you till the sun rises.”

“I-I’m honored that that Lady loves me as her accompany.” Fodel laughed nervously.

“Yeah, I do really like your company. So, I might as well ask your company in the future, Chancellor.” Janette stepped inside the carriage.

“I’ll be glad to accept such invitation, Milady.” ‘What a crazy scary woman!’ He cried. Fodel stepped inside as well and closed the door of the carriage. The coachman drove the horse leading to the palace.

When they arrive at the Palace, Fodel stepped out first and offered his hand to the Lady, helping her to step out from the carriage. Lady Janette took his hand and slowly stepped out from the carriage. Fodel closed the door of the carriage then it moved away.

“Lady Janette, may I?” Fodel offered his arm.

“Chancellor what do you think?” Janette put her hand on his arm.

“Think of what, Milady?”

Janette fell silent and was looking straight. It made Fodel confused. They started walking and entered in the palace. They arrived at the banquet hall. The two guards opened the door while they were waiting.

“Should we get engaged instead of me and your master? What do you think?”

Fodel flustered upon hearing that from Lady Janette. He felt like he looked like a man who just heard a news that her wife was having an affair with his best friend secretly. The Lady faced him with smile and then the door opened widely. The lights inside the hall, reached them.

“What a funny joke, Lady Janette.” Fodel laughed awkwardly.

Janette only smiled at him. Janette looked in front and took the first step. Fodel who was her escort, walked nervously with her inside the banquet hall. They headed towards the Emperor who was standing on the side talking with Janette’s parents.

At this kind of occasion, the Lady should be arriving first before the Emperor. Escorted by someone rather than the Emperor showed that both of them were not in good terms.

Even their engagement is only for political reasons. They must be in good terms at least in appearance in order for the people in the country to be at ease. Fodel and Janette approached the emperor.

“Good evening, your majesty.” They bowed to show their respect to the Emperor.

“I apologize for arriving late, your majesty…” Those words seemed stuck at Janette’s throat.

“I don’t mind... I know that ladies would take an hour in order to be presentable,” the Emperor replied.

Janette smiled, “Thank you for your understanding, your majesty.”

However, in Janette’s mind she wanted to kick, punch, or choke the Emperor in front of her who was smiling. Gatherings, where people smile even if they wanted to kill you now or were just planning to.

It is a scary place to show your true self, weakness or vulnerability. The people who seemed to have fun with the party were silently killing you in the back of their minds. Planning how to attack you with just mere words and smiles.

“Pardon me my Lord but I shall take my leave now, there are pressing matters that I needed to attend right now.” Fodel excused himself. The truth was he only wanted to get out of the tension and get a breather. He was seeing sparks at Janette and the Emperor’s gazes at each other. No not that romantic spark, but a rather killing intent spark.

“Already?” Janette faced him.

“Ah… yes. I apologize, Milady…” He bowed.

“That’s so sad. I’m starting to love your company, Chancellor,” Janette sighed.

Fodel froze upon hearing her statement. A fiancée of the Emperor loving and preferring his company rather than her own fiancée that was standing in front of her was a dangerous thing to say. Even they did not engage for love, if other people heard this, it would start gossips in the city, like a wildfire.

“I… I am really feel honor… Lady Janette. The joke earlier is also funny haha,” Fodel laughed awkwardly.

Fodel’s mind was at mess. He could not stand straight and do not know already what he is saying. In his mind, he was kneeling on the ground while crying desperately to the Lady to stop her from making fun of him. She sees the Lady laughing devilishly in his mind while looking down on him.

‘Please! Do not put me in a difficult position! Waaah!’ he cried in his mind.

“My, my… Chancellor. I didn’t know you are this cute and adorable,” Janette laughed softly.

Fodel heard himself in his mind, cracking and breaking into pieces. ‘If this will not stop. I am sure I will die!’ He screamed in the back of his mind.

“So, you really adored my Chancellor,” the Emperor commented.

“Of course, your majesty. He is not a stone unlike someone I know,” Janette smiled.

“If I know, you want to marry my Chancellor instead,” the Emperor said jokingly while holding back his irritation.

“Oh my, is your majesty okay with it?” Janette raised her brow and look the Emperor with intense gazed.

The Emperor’s eyebrows are twitching upon hearing her answers.

“Janette!” Janette’s father warned her.

Janette ignored her father while keeping the sharp gaze on Linfred. The Emperor was gazing at her with dinsinterest.

‘Do you think I would back down? On a guy like you?’

‘This woman! She really never failed to irritate me!’

‘Hah! Making your blood boil is my happiness, Your Majesty!’

‘Where does the hell this Woman gather her courage to piss off an Emperor like me?’

‘You can’t just kill me! If you can kill me that easily, you did it a long time ago! Hah! You need my father power to back you up in your throne.’

‘This woman! I will surely made her cry and beg for me one day!’